Friends took to social media to mourn Gutierrez’s death, describing her as “a young trans Latina immigrant woman whose warm smile would give anyone comfort.” The Los Angeles transgender community and allies gathered to honor Gutierrez and demand an end to the epidemic of violence targeting transgender people.

Gutierrez is the first transgender woman of color and the second transgender person known to have died this year as a result of violence. Transgender women of color make up a horrific percentage of reported transgender murder victims.

Last year, the HRC Foundation and the Trans People of Color Coalition released a report documenting the senseless acts of violence that made 2017 the deadliest year on record for transgender people, particularly for trans women of color.

To learn more about HRC’s transgender justice work, and the epidemic of violence against transgender people, visit hrc.org/Transgender.